Product Analysis
Whether you are manufacturing, wholesaling or retailing a product, it is necessary to ensure that it is compliant with all regulations and is suitable for its market.
Analysis should begin with risk assessment, taking into account where the product is being sold, how you will distribute it and who will use it. Your QA staff will be aware of testing required and issues arising from putting the product into its market. If you do not have QA staff in house, you should use a qualified/experienced consultant who understands your product, or contact a testing house to evaluate what product standards should be met.
The measures you take should be part of your internal product standard records. Evaluating the product is only a first step. There are many components to most products, and the requirements for those components must also be evaluated (dyes; chemical leaching; use of batteries; size of components and choking hazards….the list is long for any product).
Case Study
An example is creation and sale of a ceramic mug:
- the mug must meet overall Product Safety Standards (is the handle firmly fixed? When holding the mug full of a hot beverage, is the handle likely to get too hot to hold? Is the mug stable on a flat surface?);
- the clay from which is has been made should be food safe (any cracking or chipping must not leach harmful substances);
- the pigmentation used in the design must also be food safe;
- the glaze must be food safe;
- the mug must be thermal shock tested;
- if you are making any claims for the mug (e.g. that it is dishwasher safe), each claim must be tested
The standards you set for your own manufacture of the mug should then be monitored for as long as the mug is in production.
You must ensure that the supply of the clay, the pigmentation, the glaze remains consistent, which means that your supply chain must be interrogated – preferably for each delivery of each component – to confirm that your supplier (or via the supplier's supplier) is delivering consistent, compliant materials to you.